MASS FLUX AND MIGRATION VELOCITY IN ELECT ROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

Describing particle transport in electrostatic precipitators is usuall y done in terms of ''effective migration velocity'' which causes quite often controverse discussions about its meaning. This work based on a mass balance is able to demonstrate very simply that the particle tra nsport towards the collecting plates can be described by the total coa rse mass flux. The equation for this new quantity is as simple as the equation for the effective migration velocity is, therefore it should be appropriate for common applications. Additionally a relationship is given for transforming the total coarse mass flux into an effective m igration velocity and vice versa respectively. The concept of total co arse mass flux is completely based on physical terms which might lead to more insight to the processes in electrostatic precipitation than e ffective migration velocity does, thus avoiding time consuming discuss ions. For completeness it is briefly mentioned that this concept can b e extended to the description of local coarse mass fluxes as well.